


Barrow's Man

by Sara_Ellison



Series: Everything Changes [8]
Category: Downton Abbey, Torchwood
Genre: Crossover, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-12
Updated: 2013-11-12
Packaged: 2018-01-01 06:39:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1041558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sara_Ellison/pseuds/Sara_Ellison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A visitor to Downton finds a way to make Thomas happy, and thus improves everybody's lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Barrow's Man

**Author's Note:**

> This was set after series 3. It was also originally longer in my head, but I think this gets the point across.
> 
> This is a later part of my ongoing DW/TW series. If it seems like it makes no chronological sense, that's because I'm still writing the middle bits.

The other man’s lips were soft, his tongue skilled, and Thomas was finding it hard to focus on anything outside of his mouth, at first. His hands were on the man’s body, moving blindly with minds of their own—now stroking up his back, now carding through his thick hair—and Thomas knew he was taking liberties but that _mouth_ was making it so hard to think. He kissed with his eyes closed, the better to focus on the pure physical sensation, and any other concern faded into a blurry haze of unimportance.

It was all about his mouth, at first, but when the man’s hand slipped down to cup Thomas’ arousal through the front of his trousers, he found his attention sharply redirected. “Sir,” he protested weakly, his hips pushing helplessly into the man’s palm. “I mustn’t...”

“Mustn’t what?” the American said. “And I told you, call me Jack.”

“I–I can’t,” Thomas stammered, his breath catching as that hand gave him a squeeze. “I could call you Captain...” He opened his eyes to meet clear blue ones, sparkling with undeniable mischievous intent.

“That’s acceptable,” Captain Harkness acceded, “for now. We’ll work on it.” He nipped lightly at Thomas’ lower lip, the sharp scrape of teeth making him gasp. “What is it you mustn’t do?”

Thomas moaned. If the kissing had made it difficult to think, that hand on him was rendering him absolutely insensible. “I...my clothes,” he managed. “I shouldn’t get them all mussed.”

The Captain’s low chuckle made Thomas’ blood burn with desire. “What if I told you to?” he murmured, but his hands were moving swiftly over him, untucking and unbuttoning, divesting Thomas of his clothing faster than Thomas could ever undress himself. He had the wild, ridiculous thought that Captain Harkness would make a better valet than Thomas ever had. “I won’t, though,” Captain Harkness continued, “but what would you do if I did?”

“I would obey,” Thomas panted, his skin prickling in the cool air. Captain Harkness stepped back, holding Thomas at arm’s length and raking his eyes over Thomas’ body. Thomas found himself flushing under the scrutiny.

“You shouldn’t,” Captain Harkness said softly. “You’re no one’s servant, not now, not like this. As a lover, you leave behind your job, your position. You should do what pleases _you_.”

“And if it pleases me to obey your commands?” Thomas asked, daring.

The other man smirked. “Then I command you to serve your own needs,” he said, and dropped to his knees, still fully dressed.

*****

"And where the devil have you been, then?" Mrs. Patmore demanded, though Thomas doubted she truly cared. Demanding was her standard mode of interrogation.

"I think we are all wondering that," Carson intoned, as Thomas took his seat at the servants' dining table. "An underbutler who is late to his own breakfast surely cannot be relied upon to serve anyone else with punctuality."

Thomas bit back the smart remark on the tip of his tongue, smiled, and said, "Yes, Mr. Carson. I'll be sure to remember that."

The stillness was unsettling as all the other servants paused in their meal. Daisy was the first to speak. "Well, what's got you in such a good mood?" she wondered.

Thomas shrugged. "Do I need a reason?" He was hardly about to tell them about the mood-lifting properties of their American guest's tongue.

" _You_ do," O'Brien put in.

"I wonder if it's to do with Captain Harkness," Ivy posited. "Must be quite an honour, being asked specifically to serve as his valet, even if it is beneath you now that you're an underbutler."

"Don't be foolish, Ivy, Captain Harkness isn't _beneath_ Mr. Barrow!" Mrs. Hughes said.

"Of course not," Thomas said. He tried to banish the thought of Jack—Captain Harkness—lying beneath him. The back of his neck felt warm. "I'm happy to do whatever the Captain asks of me."

*****

"Come away with me."

"What?" Thomas' head came up to meet Jack's eyes, certain he must have misheard. Or Jack must have misspoken—he wouldn't be the first man to say things he didn't mean while in the grip of pleasure, and Thomas was not entirely unskilled with his own mouth, though he had still been working his way towards getting Jack's trousers off.

"Come with me," Jack said. "When I leave Downton, I want to take you with me." He sat up on his elbows, regarding Thomas with a steady gaze. "I could show you such sights, if you'd let me."

Thomas was speechless for a long moment. "I," he said, and faltered. "I don't know what to say, sir."

"I told you, don't call me sir," Jack said. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to Thomas' briefly. "If I'm mistaken here, tell me now, but I thought there was something between us." He smiled, brilliantly, and Thomas found himself smiling back. "I like you, Thomas. I think you might like me, too. Am I wrong?"

"No, Captain, you're not wrong," Thomas murmured. "I'm very pleased you enjoy my company as much as I do yours. But—Downton has given me more than I can ever repay, especially now. To think of leaving..."

"Do you have such loyalty to this family?" Jack asked. "Didn't they nearly sack you for falling in love?"

Thomas flushed. "It wasn't that," he said. "I made improper advances, and Jimmy—James was right to be offended. And they forgave me, the Crawleys. They've been very kind."

"So much that you want to serve them for the rest of your life?" Jack pressed.

"When you put it like that," Thomas said, "no. Not that much."

Jack grinned again, brighter than the sun, and lay back against the pillows. "So you'll come?"

Thomas leaned over him, an inch shy of kissing him. "I do hope so," he said, daringly.


End file.
